Tank cover



March 21, 1933. w. H. MATTHEWS TANK COVER Filed Oct. 14, 1931 I14 HZlzf/IeM s BY J JM ATTORNEYS.

INVENTOR.

Patented Mar. 21, 1933 WILLIAM my m'r'rnnws, or am VALLEY, enonem TANK COVER Application filed October 14, 1931. Serial No. 588,843.

This invention relates to a cover that may be attached to the ordinary automobile gasoline tank in such a way that it will be impossible for a person wishing to steal an automobile to get very far with it. At least no further than the amount of gasoline in the tank will carry him.

Another object of the invention is to prepare a cover for a gasoline tank that can be easily applied to the ordinary tank with little expense and when so applied will prevent the gasoline in the tank from splashing out.

Another object of the invention is to provide means that are adapted to be attached to most of the gasoline tanks already in use and when so applied cannot be removed from the tank without mutilating the tank.

With these and other objects in view, I will now describe my invention in connection with the attached drawing in which:

Figure 1 illustrates the way in which the top of the inlet of an ordinary gasoline tank may be prepared for the application of my cover.

Figure 2 is a plane view of a ring and cover which I apply to the inlet of the gasoline tank, and

Figure 3 is a sectional view of the device shown in Figure 2.

The ordinary gasoline tank 1 has an inlet opening 2 and in order to attach my ring and cover, if the inlet is not already bent over at the top, I loop it over, as shown at 3, and in the looped over portion I out two slots 4.4, Figure 1. I then secure blocks 55 under the turned over portion 3 of the tank inlet. The blocks 5--5 must be long enough to extend across the slots 44 and be held by screws 6-6 extending through holes in a ring 7.

The ring 7 extends around over the entire top of the turned over portion of the tank inlet and is preferably provided with slots 8 into which the screws 66 may be counter-sunk, as shown in Figure 3. These screws extend through the slots 4-4 into the blocks 5-5. Ipreferably provide cork fillings 9 between the ring 7 and the turned over portion 3 of the tank inlet to prevent the gasoline from splashing between the ring and said turned over portion. The ring preferably has an extension 10 projecting downwardly therefrom on the interior of the tank inlet and a second portion 11 extending downwardly on the exterior of the tank. I preferably also prepare a suitable packing l3 fitting on the top of the screws 6.

. Hinged at 15 I provide a cover 14 for the ring 7 and I may also provide a spring 16 around the hinge 15 normally pressed against the tank cover to throw the cover open when unlocked. This cover may be attached to the ring by the ordinary hinge passing through interfitting lugs on the ring and the cover.

On the other side of the tank inlet from the hinge 15, I provide an ofi'set 18 on the I have shown a conventional lock 20 and key 21 although it is apparent that locks and cooperating means quite different from what I have shown inthe drawing may be used.

The use and applicationof my invention may be readily seen from the foregoing but to recapitulate, the top of the tank inlet having been turned over and notched, as shown in Figure 1, the packing 9 is placed thereover and the blocks 55 secured by passing the screws 6.-6 through the holes in the ring 7 and the packing into the blocks 5-5 and the same tightly screwed up to firmly hold the blocks 55, as shown in Figure 3, and additional packing 13 may then be placed over the screws in the top groove of the ring. I preferably provide a ring offset 22 which may bear down on. the pa-ckingor' cork filling on top of the screws 6-6 and coact with the filling to prevent splashing out of the gasoline. The hinged top may then be brought down on the ring and locked in position by the lock 20.

It will be observed that if anyone surreptitiously stole the automobile, it would be practically impossible to remove the ring and its cover from the automobile for supplying gasoline to the tank. The cover 14 would prevent any access to the screws 6-6 to remove them until the cover was unlocked. The cover, therefore, and ring are so attached to the gasoline tank as to prevent anyone from surreptitiousl removing the parts to supply fresh gaso ine to the tank until it has been unlocked. Of course, one might remove the ring and cover by mutilating the tank but 10 that of itself would practica ly prevent the use of the automobile since the gasoline would splash out of the mutilated tank.

Having now described my invention, what I claim as new is:

1. A tank inlet havin a turned over mouth portion, a rin exten ing over the turned over portion, a lock separable from thetank inlet and ring and insertible underthe turned over portion and means for attaching the ring and the turned over mouth portion of the tank inlet to the block through said turned over ortion.

2. cover for the mouth of a tank inlet com rising a detachable rin adapted to exten around over and on te inside of the tank inlet mouth, a cover hinged to the ring, means detachable from the ring and said mouth for holding the ring to the mouth of the tank inlet and a lock for holding the to cover in position to prevent access to said attaching means. r

3. A cover for the mouth of a tank inlet comprising a ring, means separable from the tank and ring for attaching the ring to said mouth, said ring having'a groove in its under side to embrace said tank inlet mouth, the inner wall of the groove extendin' downwardly into said mouth, a cover hmged-to said ring, a lock for the cover, op ositely 40 disposed ofi'sets on said ring, one for housing the cover hinge and the other ofl'set for housing the lock.

4. A tank having an inlet with it turned over mouth portion blocks under the turned over portion separable from said tank, a ring over the turned over ortion, bolts attaching the ring to the bloc through the turned over portion, a cover enclosing the bolts and a 10c for locking the cover to the rin ,60 5. A cover for the mouth of a tank mlet comprising a ring readily detachable from the tank inlet mouth, said ring having a downwardly extending portion located within and adjacent the mouth of the tank inlet,

as a groove in the top of the ring, a cover for the ring having rejections fitting into said groove and. a E for locking the top of the rm Y Y testimony whereof I afiix my signature. WILLIAM HENRY MATTHEWS. 

